Other Characters
Cunitius, A private investigator and one-time enemy of Marcus
Epictetus, Great stoic Greek philosopher
Heron of Alexandria, A Greek mathematician, engineer and inventor .
Similis, Ex-prefect of Egypt, placed in charge of all security matters in Rome whilst Trajan is away in the east.
Laberius, courtier at Trajan’s imperial court in Rome
GLOSSARY
Aerarium, State treasury for Senatorial provinces
Aesculapius, The god of healing
Agora, market place and public space
Albania, Roman client kingdom at the southern foot hills of the Caucasus
Aila, Red sea port now called Aqaba in Jordan
Alae, Roman cavalry unit
Alani, A Scythian people living on the steppes to the north of the Caucasus
Antioch, Near Antakya, Turkey
Arabia Nabataea, modern day Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia
Araxes river, also known as the Aras. Former border between the USSR and Iran
Artaxata, ancient capital of the kingdom of Armenia
Athena, Greek goddess and protector of Athens
Agrimensore, A land surveyor.
Armorica, Region of north-west France
Aquincum, Modern Budapest, Hungary
Arcidava, Fort in the Banat region of Dacia
Argiletum, Street of the booksellers in ancient Rome.
Ballista, Roman artillery catapult
Banat, Region of Dacia, Romania and Serbia
Berzobis, Fort in the Banat region of Dacia
Bonnensis, Bonn, Germany. Full name.
Burdigala, Roman city close to modern Bordeaux, France
Bostra, a Roman occupied town in Jordan
Capitoline Hill, One of the seven hills of ancient Rome
Carnuntum , Roman settlement just east of Vienna, Austria
Carrobalista, Mobile Roman artillery catapult
Castra , Fort.
Caltrops, small spiked metal anti cavalry and personnel weapons
Cappadocia, Roman province in central and eastern Turkey
Centurion, Roman officer in charge of a company of about 80 legionaries
Cella, internal space in a temple
Chaboras river, now known as the Khabur river, tributary to the Euphrates
Charax, near modern day Basra
Cilicia, Roman province in modern Turkey
Circessium, a town now called Buseira in Syria
Classis Pannonica, Roman fleet based on the Danube at Carnuntum
Cohort, Roman military unit equivalent to a battalion of around 500 men.
Colchis , land around the south-eastern part of the Black sea
Colonia Agrippina, Cologne, Germany.
Contubernium, Eight-man legionary infantry squad. Barrack room/tent group room
Cornicen, Trumpeter and signaller.
Cuirassed armour, Expensive chest armour that followed the muscles of the chest
Currach, Celtic boat
Cataphract, type of heavily armoured cavalry
Ctesiphon, Parthian summer capital, near modern Baghdad
Dacia(n), The area in Romania where the Dacians lived.
Decanus, Corporal, squad leader
Decurion, Roman cavalry officer.
Demeter, Greek goddess of agriculture
Denarii, Roman money.
Derbent, claims to be oldest town in Russia, on the Caspian-sea
Deva Victrix, Chester, UK.
Domitian, Emperor from AD 81 – 96
Draco banner, Dacian coloured banner made of cloth
Doura Europus, Near to Salihiye in eastern Syria
Edessa, Sanliurfa, now in south eastern Turkey
Emporium, Marketplace
Elegeia, Armenian town in the region of Erzurum
Eleusinion, Temple of Demeter, Athens
Eponymous Archon of Athens, The city’s ruler and mayor
Equestrian Order, The Order of Knights – minor Roman aristocracy
Equites, Individual men of the Equestrian Order.
Euphrates, major river in Iraq, Syria and Turkey
Falx, Curved Dacian sword.
Fibula, A brooch or pin used by the Romans to fasten clothing
Fiscus, The Roman state treasury controlled by the emperor and not the senate
Focale, Roman army neck scarf
Fortuna, The Goddess of Fortune.
Forum Boarium, The ancient cattle market of Rome
Forum Romanum, Political centre of ancient Rome, area of government buildings
Frisii, Tribe of Frisians who lived in the northern Netherlands
Gades, Cadiz, southern Spain
Garum, Roman fermented fish sauce.
Gladius, Standard Roman army short stabbing sword.
Greaves, Armour that protects the legs
Hatra, Hatra in Iraq
Hengistbury Head, Ancient Celtic trading post near Christchurch, UK.
Hibernia, Ireland.
Hispania, Spain.
Hyperborea, Mythical land beyond the north wind.
Iberia , Spain but also a small Roman client kingdom south of the Caucasus
Imaginifer, Roman army standard bearer carrying an image of the Emperor
Imperator, Latin for commander/emperor, used to hail the Roman emperor
Insulae, Roman multi-storey apartment buildings
Janus, God of boundaries.
Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Patron god of Rome
Kaftan, Parthian dress, a long traditional outer garment
Kostolac, City in Serbia
Keffiyeh, Traditional Arabic headdress
Kushan Empire, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India
Iazyges, Barbarian tribe, roughly in modern Hungary
Legate, Roman officer in command of a Legion
Liburnian, A small Roman ship
Limes, Frontier zone of the Roman Empire.
Londinium, London, UK.
Lower Pannonia, Roman pro vince in and around Hungary/Serbia and Croatia.
Ludus, School
Lugii, Vandals, barbarian tribe in central Europe.
Luguvalium, Carlisle, UK.
Mars, Roman god of war
Marcomanni, Barbarian tribe whom lived north of the Danube in modern day Austria
Mardi, Armenian tribe that lived around lake Van
Massalia, Marseille, France
Mausoleum of Augustus, Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome
Mesopotamia, modern Iraq
Middle Sea, Mediterranean Sea
Mogontiacum, Mainz, Germany.
Mons Graupius, Roman/Scottish battlefield in Scotland
Mosul, Mosul northern Iraq
Munifex, Private non-specialist Roman Legionary.
Noviomagus Reginorum, Chichester, UK.
Numerii, Germanic irregular soldiers allied to Rome.
Nero, Roman emperor 54-68 AD
Nike, Greek god of victory
Nisibis, Known now as Nusaybin in south-eastern Turkey
Numidians, one of the Berber tribes of northern Africa
Nymphaeum, monument consecrated to the water nymphs
O group meeting, Modern British army slang for group meeting of officers
Onagers, Heavy Roman artillery catapults
Optio, Roman army officer, second in command of a Company.
Ostia, Original seaport of Rome
Osrhoene, a Roman client kingdom around Edessa
Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome. The Imperial palace there.
Palmyra, Palmyra in Syria, ancient city partially destroyed by IS
Panathenaea, Ancient Greek festival in honour of Athena
Parthian Empire, Iraq, Iran and parts of Saudi, Syria and central Asia
Parthenon, The temple of Athena on top of the Acropolis in Athens
Peplos dress,
traditional dress presented to the goddess Athena
Peristyle, open space surrounded by vertical columns
Petra, Petra, Jordan.
Pilum/pila, Roman legionary spear(s).
Porolissum, Settlement in northern Dacia/Romania
Portus Augusti, The new seaport of ancient Rome
Portus Tiberinus, Rome’s Tiber river port
Posca, watered down wine with added spices
Praefecti Aeranii Saturni, Rome’s finance ministers
Prefect, Roman officer in command of an auxiliary cohort or civil magistrate.
Praetorian Guard, Emperor’s personal guard units
Principia, HQ building in a Roman army camp/fortress.
Propylaia, ancient monumental entrance gate into the Acropolis
Pugio, Roman army dagger.
Quadi, Germanic tribe living along the Danube
Resafa II, Fictitious Roman fort near Sergiopolis
Rosia Montana, Ancient gold and silver mining district in Romania/Dacia
Roxolani, Barbarian tribe in eastern Romania
Rutipiae, Richborough, Kent, UK.
Sacred Way, Important road in the ancient city of Rome
Satala, east of Sadak in Turkey on the ancient border with Armenia
Sarmatians, Barbarian allies of the Dacians
Sarmatian cataphracts, Heavily armoured Sarmatian cavalry
Sarmisegetusa Regia, Capital city of ancient Dacia
Saturn, God of wealth
Saturnalia, Roman festival in late December
Scythians, Barbarian tribes, modern Ukraine and Russia
Singidunum, Belgrade.
Sirmium, The ancient city of Sirmium on the Danube
Singara, modern Sinjar in northern Iraq
SPQR, Senate and People of Rome.
Stola, Woman’s cloak
Stoas, covered walkways
Styx river, Mythical river of the underworld.
Stylus, Roman pen
Subura, Slum neighbourhood in central Rome
Sura, ancient city on the Euphrates river in Northern Syria, west of Raqqa and north of Resafa
Tapae, Dacian fort at the entrance to the iron gates pass
Tara, Seat of the High King of Hibernia, north-west of Dublin, Ireland.
Tesserarius, Roman army watch/guard officer, third in line of company command
Tessera tile, A small stone carried by the Tesserarius on which the daily password was written down
Testudo formation, Roman army formation and tactic
Tibiscum, Fort in Dacia
Tigris, major river in Iraq
Tribune (military), A senior Roman army officer
Trireme, A fast agile galley with three banks of oars
Urban cohorts, A kind of anti-riot police force in ancient Rome
Island of Vectis, Isle of Wight, UK
Velarium, Retractable canvas roof over the Roman colosseum.
Velum, Parched animal skin used as writing paper
Vestal Virgins, Female priestesses of ancient Rome
Vespasian, Roman Emperor 69-79 AD
Vexillatio(n), Temporary Roman army detachment.
Viminacium, Roman town on the Danube in modern Serbia
Via Traiana Nova, Roman road between Bostra and the red sea port of Aila (Aqaba)